Ruby-throated Hummingbird

This is the smallest bird in Maine. Amazngly, this tiny, energy-burning bird migrates thousands of miles each year between Maine and the southern United States, Mexico and Central America.

In southern Maine it appears in early summer for a brief period, then apparently moves north only to reappear in late summer, presumably on its long trip south.

According to Stan Tekielo in his Birds of Maine Field Guide,

“The wings create a humming noise, flapping 50 or 60 times per second or faster during chasing flights. Weighing just 2 to 3 grams, it takes about five average-sized hummingbirds to equal the weight of a single chickadee. Its heart pumps an incredible 1,260 beats per minute, and breathes 250 times per minute.” (p.321)